GDT #67: 3/12/15 | 7:00PM CST | v Flyers | FSMW/KMOX

[Oaklandblue]

Agree with the comments on goaltending. Both were great, and Mason singlehandedly kept this a game through two. It does look like our shooters saw something inviting about his stick side though.

re Stastny-the only reason he seems to be a problem is because Lehtera and Backes have played well enough to strand him on the third line. Stastny is looking to approach 20 goals and 50 points-not that far off his career averages-in a less-than-complete season during which he joined a new team and got injured. His advanced stats are all good and his +/- too, whatever you think of that, and he's playing 17:30 a night while winning 58% of his faceoffs and starting half his shifts in the Blues' zone. His shooting % is better than Steen's and almost exactly the same as Lehtera's. What's getting people down is his contract but that's just market rate for a high-end FA. Thing is, he's the only one of those on the Blues. Which also makes me think of Johnny Boychuk and Alex Pietrangelo-another guy Blues fans seem inordinately down on. Boychuk just got $6M per for 7 years. This is a guy having his career year at 31 but still isn't producing as many points as Petro and don't even ask about other seasons. The Islanders will be giving him about 10% of the current cap until he's 38 and everyone seems to agree this was a good deal. This is the market. The Blues FO has been great at retaining homegrown talent at low prices. But you can't pass on what could be a piece of a great team because he isn't homegrown and you have to pay market price.

Or: the Blues probably have the best 3rd line center in the league. I know how relieved I would have been to know that at the point when Sobotka had bolted and I had no idea how Lehtera would turn out.

Yeah I think you and I are agreeing - there's nothing WRONG with Stastny. He doesn't NEED new linemates. He just is what he is on this team - we went form an impoverished set of centers to an embarrassment of riches, and he fits in where he fits in. That happens to be the 3rd line. It happens to be with Jaskin, a young player, and Berglund, a perpetual has-been. Both are playing really well with Stastny, so just leave it the (Frank) alone. Stop jeopardizing our OBVIOUS top 2 lines (Oshie/Steen/Backes and STL). If Stastny can't handle being on the 3rd line, trade him next season, (Frank) him then.

Stastny is fine. http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=757763

...and when we get to the playoffs he has another gear...I can't wait.

If Sobotka was still here he'd be our 4th line center...Crazy to think that but it's probably true.

If Boat made the decision to jump across the water and put the Note on right now, would he be eligible to participate in the playoffs? Having Boat on top of the others on the team would be a step above epic.

[cprice12]

Agree with the comments on goaltending. Both were great, and Mason singlehandedly kept this a game through two. It does look like our shooters saw something inviting about his stick side though.

re Stastny-the only reason he seems to be a problem is because Lehtera and Backes have played well enough to strand him on the third line. Stastny is looking to approach 20 goals and 50 points-not that far off his career averages-in a less-than-complete season during which he joined a new team and got injured. His advanced stats are all good and his +/- too, whatever you think of that, and he's playing 17:30 a night while winning 58% of his faceoffs and starting half his shifts in the Blues' zone. His shooting % is better than Steen's and almost exactly the same as Lehtera's. What's getting people down is his contract but that's just market rate for a high-end FA. Thing is, he's the only one of those on the Blues. Which also makes me think of Johnny Boychuk and Alex Pietrangelo-another guy Blues fans seem inordinately down on. Boychuk just got $6M per for 7 years. This is a guy having his career year at 31 but still isn't producing as many points as Petro and don't even ask about other seasons. The Islanders will be giving him about 10% of the current cap until he's 38 and everyone seems to agree this was a good deal. This is the market. The Blues FO has been great at retaining homegrown talent at low prices. But you can't pass on what could be a piece of a great team because he isn't homegrown and you have to pay market price.

Or: the Blues probably have the best 3rd line center in the league. I know how relieved I would have been to know that at the point when Sobotka had bolted and I had no idea how Lehtera would turn out.

Yeah I think you and I are agreeing - there's nothing WRONG with Stastny. He doesn't NEED new linemates. He just is what he is on this team - we went form an impoverished set of centers to an embarrassment of riches, and he fits in where he fits in. That happens to be the 3rd line. It happens to be with Jaskin, a young player, and Berglund, a perpetual has-been. Both are playing really well with Stastny, so just leave it the (Frank) alone. Stop jeopardizing our OBVIOUS top 2 lines (Oshie/Steen/Backes and STL). If Stastny can't handle being on the 3rd line, trade him next season, (Frank) him then.

Stastny is fine. http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=757763

...and when we get to the playoffs he has another gear...I can't wait.

If Sobotka was still here he'd be our 4th line center...Crazy to think that but it's probably true.

If Boat made the decision to jump across the water and put the Note on right now, would he be eligible to participate in the playoffs? Having Boat on top of the others on the team would be a step above epic.

I believe the date has passed for a player to be within the organization to be eligible for the playoffs.
Now... we still own Sobotka's rights...so I'm not sure how that factors in.
But the last I heard, Sobotka's team is playoff bound and is supposed to go fairly deep...and rumor is that he won't be (or can't) leave his team. Not that he would anyway.
Sobotka didn't want to be here. So I'm guessing he won't be playing for us again. The Blues might be best off just trading away his rights in the offseason...that is, if he wants to play in the NHL again.

[drwoland]

Agree with the comments on goaltending. Both were great, and Mason singlehandedly kept this a game through two. It does look like our shooters saw something inviting about his stick side though.

re Stastny-the only reason he seems to be a problem is because Lehtera and Backes have played well enough to strand him on the third line. Stastny is looking to approach 20 goals and 50 points-not that far off his career averages-in a less-than-complete season during which he joined a new team and got injured. His advanced stats are all good and his +/- too, whatever you think of that, and he's playing 17:30 a night while winning 58% of his faceoffs and starting half his shifts in the Blues' zone. His shooting % is better than Steen's and almost exactly the same as Lehtera's. What's getting people down is his contract but that's just market rate for a high-end FA. Thing is, he's the only one of those on the Blues. Which also makes me think of Johnny Boychuk and Alex Pietrangelo-another guy Blues fans seem inordinately down on. Boychuk just got $6M per for 7 years. This is a guy having his career year at 31 but still isn't producing as many points as Petro and don't even ask about other seasons. The Islanders will be giving him about 10% of the current cap until he's 38 and everyone seems to agree this was a good deal. This is the market. The Blues FO has been great at retaining homegrown talent at low prices. But you can't pass on what could be a piece of a great team because he isn't homegrown and you have to pay market price.

Or: the Blues probably have the best 3rd line center in the league. I know how relieved I would have been to know that at the point when Sobotka had bolted and I had no idea how Lehtera would turn out.

Yeah I think you and I are agreeing - there's nothing WRONG with Stastny. He doesn't NEED new linemates. He just is what he is on this team - we went form an impoverished set of centers to an embarrassment of riches, and he fits in where he fits in. That happens to be the 3rd line. It happens to be with Jaskin, a young player, and Berglund, a perpetual has-been. Both are playing really well with Stastny, so just leave it the (Frank) alone. Stop jeopardizing our OBVIOUS top 2 lines (Oshie/Steen/Backes and STL). If Stastny can't handle being on the 3rd line, trade him next season, (Frank) him then.

Stastny is fine. http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=757763

...and when we get to the playoffs he has another gear...I can't wait.

If Sobotka was still here he'd be our 4th line center...Crazy to think that but it's probably true.

Tell hitch. He's so fine that steen was playing on the third line, replaced by Porter against Philly

[theohall]

Agree with the comments on goaltending. Both were great, and Mason singlehandedly kept this a game through two. It does look like our shooters saw something inviting about his stick side though.

re Stastny-the only reason he seems to be a problem is because Lehtera and Backes have played well enough to strand him on the third line. Stastny is looking to approach 20 goals and 50 points-not that far off his career averages-in a less-than-complete season during which he joined a new team and got injured. His advanced stats are all good and his +/- too, whatever you think of that, and he's playing 17:30 a night while winning 58% of his faceoffs and starting half his shifts in the Blues' zone. His shooting % is better than Steen's and almost exactly the same as Lehtera's. What's getting people down is his contract but that's just market rate for a high-end FA. Thing is, he's the only one of those on the Blues. Which also makes me think of Johnny Boychuk and Alex Pietrangelo-another guy Blues fans seem inordinately down on. Boychuk just got $6M per for 7 years. This is a guy having his career year at 31 but still isn't producing as many points as Petro and don't even ask about other seasons. The Islanders will be giving him about 10% of the current cap until he's 38 and everyone seems to agree this was a good deal. This is the market. The Blues FO has been great at retaining homegrown talent at low prices. But you can't pass on what could be a piece of a great team because he isn't homegrown and you have to pay market price.

Or: the Blues probably have the best 3rd line center in the league. I know how relieved I would have been to know that at the point when Sobotka had bolted and I had no idea how Lehtera would turn out.

Yeah I think you and I are agreeing - there's nothing WRONG with Stastny. He doesn't NEED new linemates. He just is what he is on this team - we went form an impoverished set of centers to an embarrassment of riches, and he fits in where he fits in. That happens to be the 3rd line. It happens to be with Jaskin, a young player, and Berglund, a perpetual has-been. Both are playing really well with Stastny, so just leave it the (Frank) alone. Stop jeopardizing our OBVIOUS top 2 lines (Oshie/Steen/Backes and STL). If Stastny can't handle being on the 3rd line, trade him next season, (Frank) him then.

Stastny is fine. http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=757763

...and when we get to the playoffs he has another gear...I can't wait.

If Sobotka was still here he'd be our 4th line center...Crazy to think that but it's probably true.

Tell hitch. He's so fine that steen was playing on the third line, replaced by Porter against Philly

Right now, this is likely more a matter of making sure guys who haven't played stay fresh, working different line combos to see if something can be improved, while not completely screwing the pooch in the hunt for home ice in the playoffs.

Injuries will happen which will force line combo changes. When is the time to try out new lines? Now - in the regular season knowing you will be in the playoffs - and being able to mix and match lines how you choose? Or in the playoffs with absolutely no idea of what will and will not work while being forced to make a change due to injury?

IMO, this is an unfair criticism of Hitch considering what happened the last 2 weeks of the regular season last year.

Considering Berglund's recent play, you actually have a problem with playing Porter over Berglund? Another thing not considered, Oshie and Porter did play together in college. It's worth a few games to see if they can find that chemistry again. Not saying this should be a permanent thing, but it's injury insurance if it works.

[drwoland]

Considering Berglund's recent play, you actually have a problem with playing Porter over Berglund? Another thing not considered, Oshie and Porter did play together in college. It's worth a few games to see if they can find that chemistry again. Not saying this should be a permanent thing, but it's injury insurance if it works.

Berglund being on the bench is about the only thing I DID like about it.

[crazyhorse]

Have you guys looked at the Tarasenko bobbleheads on Ebay? Yea, my son and I are keeping ours!

[ecbm]

Have you guys looked at the Tarasenko bobbleheads on Ebay? Yea, my son and I are keeping ours!

Ooh, you got a couple, eh? So in person, are they more Kevin Spacey or recycled/painted T.J. Oshie? Photos I've seen online could go either way...

[crazyhorse]

Have you guys looked at the Tarasenko bobbleheads on Ebay? Yea, my son and I are keeping ours!

Ooh, you got a couple, eh? So in person, are they more Kevin Spacey or recycled/painted T.J. Oshie? Photos I've seen online could go either way...

Sorry, I couldn't tell you. Haven't been out of the box?